A wreath laying ceremony was organised at the Parsi Zoroastrian Cemetery, in Ooty, in honour of the 16^th death anniversary of Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, at the Madras Regiment Centre (MRC), Wellington, under the aegis of the Station Headquarters.

Lt. Gen. Virendra Vats – Commandant, Defence Services Staff College, (DSSC), Wellington, laid a wreath at the final resting place of the revered soldier on behalf of the tri-services fraternity. Brig. Sunil Kumar Yadav, Station Commander, Wellington, also paid homage, in the presence of the local Parsi community.

Field Marshal Manekshaw had an illustrious military career spanning over four decades, with various accomplishments to his credit. He took over as the 8th Chief of Army Staff in January 1969. He is revered for having successfully crafted India’s greatest military triumph by leading the Indian Army into 1971 Operations, which resulted in the liberation of Bangladesh, within a short duration of 13 days.

He was the recipient of an array of eminent awards and honours including the Military Cross – Gallantry (1942); Padma Bhushan (1968); and the Padma Vibhushan (1972). In 1972, Nepal fêted Manekshaw as an honorary General of the Nepalese Army. In January 1973, he was promoted to the 5-Star rank of a Field Marshall – the first ever Indian to receive this honour. In 1977, he was awarded the Order of Tri Shakti Patta, First Class (an order of Knighthood of the Kingdom of Nepal).

Manekshaw had settled down at Wellington after active service. His association with the station goes back to the time when he was Commandant of Defence Services Staff College. He breathed his last on June 27, 2008.